Ivanov: Anti-Terrorism Battle Not Spearheaded Against Any Religion

Addressing Friday the 56th session of the UN General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov made it clear that the anti-terrorism drive is not directed against any religion, civilization or culture. A dialogue between civilizations pursued at this session is telling evidence of my words, said the foreign minister. He expressed hopes that this effort will be encouraged by the implementation of the initiative of Russian Moslem clergy to hold an international Moscow conference on Islam against terrorism. Igor Ivanov declared that terrorism had no other face but that of a criminal. "There ought to be neither doubts nor dual standards-evil should be punished rather than veiled with political, nationalist or religious slogans," said the Russian foreign minister. He put it aptly that "land should get hot under the feet of those who mastermind and perpetrate acts of terrorism or who support them, who are involved in trans-border machinations by mobster gangs and drug barons.